Mixing, heating, and distributing unit for confections



May 6, 1930. w. H. CARSON MIXING, HEATING, AND DISTRIBUTING UNIT FORCONFECTIONS Filed May 25, 1929 ATTORN FIG. 4.

Patented May 6 1930' ire-n WILLI M E. cnnson, or NO MAi QKLAHQMA MIXING,HEATING;ANDvDIS'BfiIBUTING UNIT FOR conrnerrons s Application filed May25,.

This invention relates 1 to lie ating, mixing I and distributingunitfo'r confection, particu' lajrly that class known" as POpfCOI'hconfec' 1 tion. W

a The objectsof my im entionare to rovideadevice' of this cl'a'ss whichwill be new,,nov el, practicaland of utility which will provide a drumand othermeansfor mixing popcorn and'syrup, or such like content; Which5 will provide a means for'heatin'g'sai'd' content during the mixing:process .Which will provide a means for Withdrawing the said content inmeasuredquantities from the said 7 drum g which Will provide a -means'for depositingsaid measured quantity in any de- Ysiredconta'iners;lwhich delivery-Will be antomatic; which willbe?durable; which Will be efficient inacconiplishing all the purposes Vfor which it is intended. 7

This invention is one of a seriesby thisapplicant relating tothefplacin'g" of a inachine on the market for forming, preserving andsealing a pop-corn confection and the like, or othernature. Thisparticular appli- 4;; cation relatesto the mixing, heating and measuringan'ddelivering" means'.

With these and other objects'in' View as will more fully appearmyinvention'consists inthe construction, novel features, combination ofparts hereinafterginore fully' de' scribed, pointed out in theclaim'shereto appended, andii'llustr'ated in the accompanying oneesheetdrawing, ofWhich, v i I Figure 1* is a planjview' of the measuring andconveying block, with the drum housing shown in section; v a

Fig. 2" is aplan viewof the'scraping'"memher and track upon which themeasuring and" conveying bloc-k rides. V V

Fig. 3 is an elevat'ional viewof the device, showing the drum: and drumhousingin section. p h

Fig. 4 is an elevational viewof the mix ing" and" heating drum showingmixing blades, and the position of scraping: member dottedin. V I p 7'Lilze cliaractersxof reference designate like parts in allthe figures.

,It is understood that various changes in the form", proportion, size,shape, Weight'and x ing" 1*1; Throu h; said bearing 11 and sup 1928.Serial No. 366,050.

other details of construction, within the the scope of my invention: mayberesor'ted to Without departing from the spirit orbroad' principle ofmyinventionzand ithout sacrif 'c ing any ofthe' advantages thereof"; andis also} understood that the drawings are tobe interpreted as being,illustrativeand not restrictime.

A practical embodiment of the in ention as illustrated in thedrawings'includesr' Upon -a--suitable base 1 of any desired form" andmaterial, attached by plurality of brackets Q through means of bolts-orstuds 3 ofsuch like method, is drum h'ousingi fi Sai'd drum housing- 4%is c'ylindri-cahin form made of any suitable material such as sheetmetal and the like, and has one of its ends entirely open. Nttached tosaid diumhousing 4, by? anyusual ,means' or made integral thereWith,-'is end 5' having, adjacent itscentraLportion, a circular opening aroundwhich 'is provided inwardly and down ard-1y eX-" tendingflan ge i I'Eruclg platform 7 ismounted-upon Wheels 83 i 7 Attached to, or madeintegral witlrsaid truck platform and" perpendicular tliere-' to;arejstand'ards 1 0.; 5 Conver ing at theta- 5* said-standards IO'form' asupportifor"bearing 1 1. Said'truek be' mad-e o faiiy suit abl'e designor form for supporting said hear- I Mounted: upon the outwardlyextending per:-

tion of said drivezs'ha ft 12; and rigidly attachedithel e to isgdrive'pulley-1 3 for-conne-ct- 8 ing by: any usual me'anis with seat o fpower; Heatingrand mixingdrum151s niadeofsheet metal" or such likeinateri'a-l cylindir ical in form and of sucln cilianieter as to fitWithin said" drum: housing 4?closely allowing its .4 a 7 0 rotatlontherewithin, but wlthoutvfcontact therewith 'I h'e. cylindrical"lengthof saiddrum 1,5; is-approxi-matel-ythat of the inside cylindrical--length of said drum-housing 4. Said drum- 15 is provided withends'-17and-- 17?. circular opening lfi is: provided in' said end 17? adjacentthe cent-rah portionthereof, saidcircular opening lfi being,- butslightly greater in circumference than: the

circumference encompassed by said flange 6 we like.

means 24. table 20, as is best shown in Fig. 1, and adjain said drumhousing 4. Said end 17 is provided adjacent its central portion with aperforation and with annular plates 13. Said annular plates 18 areclamped one upon the inner and oneupon the outer side of said end 11, bynuts 18, threaded upon said shaft 12. Within said drum 15 and attachedby any desired means to its cylinder walls, are a plurality of 'V shapedmixing blades, on baflle plates 19. Said plates 19 are designed to pickup and liftthe; contents from'the bottom of said drum 15,when same isrotated upon saidshaf t' 12, and to drop said contents adjacentthe-center of saiddrum 15 when said blades 19,are at or near the top oftheir rotation.

Between the top of said truck platform 7 and the bottom portion of saiddrunrhous ing 4 is provided heating unit 9 for applying heat to said;drum housing 4. Said heating unit 9 is designed to. give nointerferencewith the movement of said truck platform T im and outbeneath same. ablyagasjet. Table 20, supported by legs 21,,is positionedat a desired distancefrom said drum housing 4 on the side nearest saidopening 16. Upward through said table20 extends shaft.

22, the lower portion of which is connected. with a seatof power. Fromthe upper portion of, and. .activatectby,

:Said shaft 22 extends rotor arm 23, keyedto said shaft 22. On the underside of the} free'end of said rotor arm 23, I upon axle 24?? and securedthereto by holding Upon the top surface of said cent the end of samenearest said-opening 16, and secured by-bolts 27 and 27 ,'is bearing 28.

Through said bearing 28 operates reciprocal rod 26. Positioned upon saidrod 26 is com-'- pression spring29. At right angles :thereto, positionedupon the endof said reciprocal rod 26, nearest said shaft 22, ispositioned by i any desired means not shown, arm25, having the face-ofthat portion of its length nearest its junction with said rod 26, cuppedor shaped as a segment of: a circle, the radius of which is the same asthe sweep of said, arm 23.

To the threaded end of said rod 26 nearest said opening 16, and held bylock nut 30 I provide measuring block 31, same being rectangular inshape and constructed of any suitable material such'as wood, metal orthe 32 and 33. Said cups 32 and 33 have perpendicular walls and extendthr ug said.

block 31 from-top to bottom as is" best shown in Fig. 1. .Hinged by anyusual means not shown upon the under side of said block 31 This unit ispreferprovide roller 24, operating Provided in said block 31 are .twocircular bottomless staggered measuring cups the bottom opening of saidcup 32, and other than through means of said hinge, said trap door 34 isoperatively free from any attachment to said block 31 or said cup 32.Said trap door 34 is designed to swing downward- 1y upon said hinge toopen said cup 32 and to swing upwardly to close same. Hinged in a likemanner upon the underneath side of said block 31'at desired pointsbetween said cup 33 and the end of said block 31 nearest saiddrumhousing5, I provide trap door 35. Said trap door 35'is of a shape andsize and otherwise similar to said trap door 34, but is designed to openand close said cup 33. Ex-

tending downward upon the under side of said trapdoor 34 andadjacentthat corner of same nearest said bolt 27*: ofsaid bearing 28 is lug 36.Extending downward upon the 37 are designed to ride upon track member38.

As may best be seen in Fig. 2 said track member 38 is rectangular inshape and bound. longitudinally on its two outer sides by angle irons 39and 39*. The sides of said angle irons extend upwardly along the outersides or" saidtrack member 38 forming a guide for the longitudinal sweepof said measuring and conveying block 31. Said track 38 is positioned byany usual means at one of its ends, 7

upon said table 20 at a pointshown as 40. Its other end 42. extendshorizontallythrough said opening '16 into saiddrumflhousing4, to a pointadjacent the position takenby said end 17 of'said drum 15 when said drumis withinfsaid housing 4. Said track member 38 is supported underneathitscentral portion by bracket39 rigidly attachedby any. usual meanssuchas rivets to said drum housing 4. That end of-said track member 38extending within said drum housing 4 is bifurcated to.

form a rectangular recess as shown at 41.

That portion of said track member38 be- 4 tween said table 20 andsaiddrum" housing 4 is so bifurcated as to form a stepped recess shownas 41*. The sides of said recess-41f form a long track 42 for the travelof said lug 36 positioned under said trap door 34, and a shorter track43 for the travel of said 111 37' positioned under said trap door 35.vSaid recess 41 provides an opening for the operation ofsaid trapdoors-34 and 35. It will be I understoodthat when said lug 36 in itsmovement way'frorn said drum'houslng 4, reaches .the end 42 of saidtrack 42, that said door 34 will swing'downward and thus open said cup32, and that simultaneously said lug 37 will reach the end 43 of saidtrack 43, thus opening said trap. door 35 to said cup 33. i The portionof the side of said track 42 which lies j .along said rectangular recess41 is extended at desired points between said cups 32 and" 33 is trapdoor 34; said trap door 34 being a upwardly, as'best seen in Fig. 4 asshown at 45, and at its top is provided withupwardly and outwardlyextending flange44. Said flange 44 extends across and above said track42 at right angles thereto as shown at.46."

,in said drum 15, toward and into said cups 32 and 33 when said block 31is'fully within said drum 15. The bottom edge of said flange 46 ispositioned at the height above said track 42 tobarely allow the passageof said block 31 between said track 42 and said flange 46. Said bottomedge of said flange 46 acts as a scraper for striking off surplus mixedcon-' tent which has been deposited upon said block 31- and hasoverfilled said cups 32 and 33.

Positioned beneath the under side of said track member 38 are receivinghoppers 4'7. Said hoppers 47 are positioned directly under the recess 41and are, respectively, in vertical alinement with trap doors 34 and 35when same have reached the end of their travel away from said drum 15.-Said receiving hoppers areof a size and shape to permit the freedownwardswing therein of said. trap doors 34 and 35, as indicated'by thearrows .1 in Fig. 3, so as to receive the said mixed content of saidcups 32 and 33 and to further convey said mixed content downward to bethen received by a conveyor shown as 47 For sanitary protection and forthe pur- :r pose of conserving the heat in'and from said 1 content to bemixedp'ltolling upon saidtion of said housing 48 is left open.

drum I provide housing 43. Said housing 48 composed of sheet metal orsuch like has the form of an inverted box, one end ofsame beingsupported by cleats 49 on drumho'us ing 4, the opposite end beingsupported upon" said table .20. That end of said housing 48 adjacentsaid. drum housing 4 is provided with an opening 49 designed to permitthe passage of said block 31. The bottom por- In operation said drum 15is charged with wheels 8 and supported by said truck 7 and said standard10, said drum 15 is inserted in I said drum housing 4. '1 Heat isapplied by means of said heating unit 9; power is ap plied through meansof said pulley l3, and said drum 15 rotates upon said shaft 12.

V Picked up from the bottom of said drum 15 31 riding uponsaid tracks 42and 43. This i movement is accomplished by the action of said rotor arm23. and said roller 24 upon bysaid V shaped mixing blades 19 the desiredcontent is carried to a position at or near the top of said'drum 15, atwhich point or points it is poured downwardly, only to be i picked up byother of said blades 19 and thus mixed.

At regular intervals said cups 32 and 33 on v 7 said conveyor. block 31are pushed mtosaid drum15fthrough said opening16, said blocks armthrough the medium of reciprocating rod 26. Due to the said cupped orcurved face of said arm25 it will be understoodthat con veyor block 31will have a certain period of V to be connected to a seat It will befurther understood that said doors 34 and 35. under said cups 32 and 33are heldin a-closed position by the riding of said lugs 36 and 37 uponsaid tracks 42 and 43 at all points of travel except said points 42 and43*, respectively.

It will further. be understood that when said roller 24 upon said rotorarm 23 reaches that part of its motion where it breaks contact withthecurved face of said arm 25, that said arm 25 and said reciprocatingrod26 will be released to the action of said compression spring 29. Thesaid actionof said spring29 against said arm .25 will cause said arm 25,together with'said reciprocating rod26 and said conveyorblo'ck 31 totravel toward said shaft 22 a predetermined distance, thus withdrawingsaid cups 32 and 33 from said drum 15, to apoint directly abovesaidreceiving hoppers 47 Upon reaching this said position said lugs 36and 37 drop from points 42 and 43"- on said tracks 42 and 43,allowingsaid trap doors 34 and to open downwardly through said recess41*, thus depositing contents of said cups32 and 33 into said hoppers47. i p e v Itwill also be understood that when said conveyor block 31starts upon its travel toward said drum 15, that said trap doors 34 and35 will be-closed by their action upon said ends 42 and 43 which arecurved slightly downward. I I

It will be further understood that said shaft 22acts through the meansof a pinion in propelling said arm 23. Said :pinion 50 of power by meansshown as 51..

After said content has been deposited within said hoppers 47, it passesinto said convey I or 47 which is of any desired design, and is not apart of this invention. f

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms otherthan that which lSl illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescribed herein, and applicable for uses and purposes other than asdetailed, I there'- fore consider as my own all such modifications andadaptations and other uses of the form of V the device otherthan asherein described as fairly fallwithin'the scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed and desired to'besecured by Letters Patent, is: v

' 1. A device, as described, embodying a rotating interiorly bafileddrum for mixing confections, a housing for said drum adapted to beheatedfor heating said confections while I being-mixed, a reciprocatingconveyor block forming a'plurality of cups, adapted to enter said drum,receive a portion of mixed confection and to withdraw from said drum anddeposit said confection in desired containers, all as and for thepurposes specified.

2. 'A device, as described, embodying a singly centrally perforated,vertically rotatable, interiorly bafiied, hollow, cylindrical, mixingdrum operatively mounted upon a manually portable wheeled truck, an openmanually portable wheeled truck, an open ended, singly centrallyperforated, stationarily mounted housing'for removably receiving saiddrum, a table, a track from said table to within said drum, areciprocating rod bear ing a conveyor block having a plurality ofstaggered cups formed therein said .cups adapted to receive a contentfrom said drum, arm and roller power means forreciprocating said rod,hinged doors for said cups adapted to gravitationallyopen andjdepositsaid content through said track between said table and said drum,meansfo'r heating the contents of said drum, all as and-for the purposesspecified.

4. A device, as described, embodying, a wheeled truck having uprightstandards at one/of its ends, operatively supportinga drive shaft, acylindrical mixing drum centrally mounted on one of tits ends on saidshaftits other end centrally perforated, a

plurality of baflie plates within said drum, a

' stationary cylindrical housing for said drum having an open end for.receiving said drum anda central flanged opening in its other end, atable having a vertical shaft'operatively positioned throughits top, arotatingarm,

one end'g mounted upon said;vertical shaft, a roller mounted adjacentthe? free end of said arm, a bearingupon said table, a reciprocating armits central portion operatively positioned in said bearing, acompression spring for said reciprocating arm, saidreciprocatingarniadapted to reciprocate by contact with said roller andthe actionof said spring, a conveyor block upon the free end of saidreciprocating arm forming a plurality of cups for'receiving a contentfrom said drum, a track extending from said table to wit-hin said drumupon which'said block is adapted to reciprocate, a hinged bottom foreach of said cups adaptedtobe opened'by said track to discharge saidcontent at predetermined points between said table and said drum, all asandfor the purposes specified.

lypositioned through its top,

with said roller and the action of a'conveyor block upon the free awheeled truck having upright standards at one of its ends operativelysupporting a drive shaft, a cylindrical mixing drum centrally 1 mountedon one of its endsionsaid shaft its I tral flanged opening in itsother'end, a table having a vertical shaft operatively positionedthrough its top,

mounted adjacent the free end of said arm, a bearing upon said table, areciprocating arm its central portion operatively positioned in saidbearing, a compression spring for said reciprocating arm, saidreciprocating arm adapted to reciprocate bycontact with said roller andthe action of said spring, a conveyor block upon the free end of saidreciprocating arm forming a plurality of cups for receiving a contentfrom said drum, a track extending from said table to within said drumupon which said block is adapted to reciprocate, a hinged bottom foreach of said cups adapted to be opened by said track to discharge saidcontent at predetermined points between said table and said drum, all

as and for the purposes specified. v

6. A device, as "described, in combination,

a wheeled truck having upright standards atone of its ends operativelysupporting a drive shaft, a cylindrical mixing drum.cen-' trally mountedon one of its ends on said shaft its other end centrally perforated, apluralhaving an open end for receiving said drum and a central-flangedend, a table having avertical-shaft operativea rotating arm one endmounted upon said vertical shaft, a roller mounted adjacent the free endof said for said drum having an a rotating arm one endmounted uponSitldVGI'tlCfll shaft, a roller opening in its other a arm, a bearingupon said table, a reciprocat-ing a rmits central portion operativelypositioned in said bearing, a compression spring for said reciprocatinging arm adapted to reciprocate by contact said spring,

reciprocating arm forming a plurality of cups for receiving a contentfrom said drum,

means for striking'oft' surplus content from said cups, a trackextendingfrom said table to within said drum upon which said block isadapted toreciprocate, a eachof said'cups adapted to be opened by saidtrack to discharge'saidcontent at presaid drum, fled. a

WILLIAM H. CARSON.

151A device, as described-,jin combination, a

end of saidarm, said reciprocat-- 7 I hinged bottom for determinedpoints between said table and all as and for the-purposes specim0 ity ofbaffleplates Within; said drum, a sta- Y tionary cylindrical housing forsaiddrum

